Dear Prospective Bidder:

Kinexus is seeking to procure a professional marketing and community relations consulting firm to assist in the completion of the final stages of its strategic marketing and communications plan. The final tasks will center on communication strategies to launch a strategic campaign.

Request for Proposal (RFP) applications will be available at 11 AM Eastern on Wednesday, June 28, 2017 at Kinexus, 330 W. Main Street, Benton Harbor. Applications will also be available on the Kinexus website at http://kinexus.org/about/public-information/

If you have questions regarding the Request for Proposal process, please contact Mary Morphey at or 269-927-1064 ext. 1143.

If you have questions regarding the product specifications in the RFP, please e-mail . Please note that no verbal Q & A will be permitted regarding specifications, and all proposers who wish to e-mail questions must file an Intent-to-Bid form with Kinexus. These procedures help ensure the RFP process is a fair one.

During the bid rating process, Kinexus staff may contact you for clarification.

Proposals are due by Noon, Eastern, Wednesday, July 5, 2017.

Thank you for your interest.

Sincerely,


Todd Gustafson

CEO

Kinexus

Kinexus is seeking to procure a professional marketing and community relations consulting firm to assist in the completion of the final stages of its strategic marketing and communications plan. The final tasks will center on communication strategies to launch a strategic campaign

Proposals must be submitted to:

Kinexus

Attn: Mary Morphey

330 West Main Street

Benton Harbor, MI 49022

269-927-1064 ext 1143 (phone)

Proposals are due by 12:00 p.m. Noon, Eastern, Wednesday, July 5, 2017

It is the responsibility of the interested bidder to ensure that the proposal is received by Kinexus by the date and time specified above.

Please note this RFP does not commit Kinexus to award a contract or pay any cost incurred in the preparation of a proposal. Kinexus reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals or parts of proposals received as a result of this request. Kinexus can cancel this RFP, in part or in its entirety, if it is in the best interest to do so.

However, Kinexus reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the proposals submitted. Therefore, proposals should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms, from both technical and price standpoints, which the bidder can propose.

Kinexus contemplates award to the responsible bidder with the highest total points.

I. Background

Kinexus is seeking to procure a marketing and community relations firm that will provide professional services to assist in the final completion of its new strategic plan and rebranding initiative.

The Kinexus Workforce Development Board is a business led board that plays a key role in serving the overall workforce development needs of the community. The Board membership is comprised of a majority of influential and engaged private sectors leaders along with leadership representatives from labor, education and community organizations. The role of this Board is to forge new and enhanced relationships with business, education and community-based organizations to ensure that the workforce development system meets the needs of the new economies. The Board has been expanding its leadership role across its three county region to support more integrated services in business and community development in support of workforce development.

The Board has completed the development of a new mission, vision and values. It has also redefined its service delivery system by concentrating efforts under the three spheres of Economic, Workforce, and Community Development.

For more information to help assisting Kinexus with a strategic marketing communications plan, visit our website at www.kinexus.org.

II.  Specifications

Kinexus is soliciting proposals from qualified firms that will work to assist with a strategic marketing and communications plan. This RFP is not seeking media buys, and the selected vendor will work closely with the marketing. The projected duration of services will be for up to 12 months and may be modified as necessary for increase in duration.

Our goals and objectives include:

A.  Assist with a final implementation plan in support of our strategic marketing and communications plan, not to exceed 1,000 hours.

III.  Services Solicited

This request for proposal does not seek the services of media buys.

The agency shall have demonstrated successful experience in community and public relations.

IV.  Evaluation

In addition to adequately addressing the questions posed by this RFP, proposals will be evaluated and selected based on reasonableness and competitiveness. Reasonableness and competitiveness will be determined by, but not limited to, (1) cost, (2) current and/or past performance, if applicable, and (3) comparison with other proposals.

Evaluation of each proposal will be based on the following criteria:

/

Factors

/

Points

1.

/

Qualifications & Experience of Agency and Staff

/

40

2.

/

Proposed Project Plan

/

35

3.

/

Reasonableness of Cost

/

25

/

Total

/

100

Information provided by a bidder that is willingly, knowingly, and purposely false, inaccurate, or misleading will be grounds for not considering a proposal for funding, for not awarding a contract, or for canceling a contract if awarded.

Kinexus’ Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest Policies will be in effect throughout all phases of this procurement process.

PROPOSAL- Please fill in the sections below.

I. - General Information – COVER PAGE

Applicant Organization Federal ID Number

Street Address

City State Zip Code

Printed Name and Title of Applicant’s Authorized Representative

Telephone Number Fax Number

E-mail address

Certification
I certify that I have been authorized to submit and sign this proposal on behalf of the submitting organization(s). In addition, I certify that the entire proposal is true and accurate and to the best of my knowledge the projected costs are reasonable and necessary for the proposed Service and do not duplicate other funds already available, or which will be available, to pay the projected costs. I also certify that my organization will implement this project in compliance with the stipulations and guidelines set forth by Kinexus.
______
Signature of Authorized Representative(email accepted) Date

II. – Qualifications and Experience

Please answer the following questions not to exceed 1 pages in length:

1.  Brief summary of the nature of the work/services your firm provides, including any specialty areas

2.  Summarize your firm’s years of experience and expertise in marketing and communications

3.  Identify all staff that would be assigned to the project. Briefly describe the role/contribution of each person. Provide resumes for all assigned professional staff.

4.  Provide any additional information that you feel would further explain/support your firm’s qualifications.

III. – Proposed Project Detail

Please answer the following question not to exceed 1 pages in length:

1.  Describe a timeline and activities under an implementation plan to support a strategic marketing and communications plan.

IV. – Reasonableness of Cost – Fees and Charges

Please answer the following questions

1.  If billing for personnel time is by hourly rate, specify by title/position the hourly rate of the staff assigned to perform the various services and functions.

2.  If you will be using a third-party to provide services not available in-house specify who will be providing those services, their hourly rates, fees or other charges and if there is any mark-up to those costs by your firm (specify the amount/percentage of any such markup).

3.  Identify all other non-personnel costs, such as travel, per diem, long distance telephone, copying, fax, courier service, etc. that you may bill for under a contract with Kinexus.

.